This invention relates to a firing pin for mechanically igniting a warhead detonator situated in the bottom region of the projectile carrying the warhead. The firing pin is mechanically guided in a firing pin housing.
The purpose of detonators is to ignite (detonate) the explosive of the warhead of a projectile or an explosive charge at the target or at a desired moment. Detonators of the mechanical type are provided with a firing pin to initiate the detonation.
A firing pin of the above-outlined type is disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift (application published without examination) No. 38 35 888. The firing pin is integrated in a mechanical bottom detonator. As the projectile hits the target, the firing pin is, by inertia, accelerated forward against the force of a firing pin spring into a detonator charge causing ignition thereof to thus ignite a hollow charge of the projectile. It is a disadvantage of such a prior art arrangement that the mechanical bottom detonator may be used only in projectiles of low impact speed and thus short range because the response time of the firing pin after impact of the projectile is excessively long for igniting the hollow charge. Therefore, a mechanical detonator cannot be used as a bottom detonator for hollow charge projectiles and thus for projectiles of greater muzzle and traveling velocity. Therefore, an electric bottom detonator has been conventionally used to ensure a very short response time in high-performance projectiles. Such an electric bottom detonator, however, is more complex and more expensive than mechanical bottom detonators.